today is vesak day

ah ha today is vesak day.... public holiday so there is no need to report for work ....had a good sleep and woke up close to noon time.......power lah, recharged and feeling refreshed....

1st stop: x audio ......

met up with a couple of friends there......since the acrolink 4030 was such a success i thought might as well buy another one to try.....

so this time round, bought 1.5m of the AC power cable...... and decided to use the oyaide gold-plated plugs..... again hee...... although the rhodium-plated plugs are slightly cheaper, i was thinking i like gold a little bit more......... this time more damage than 1m of cos.....a little bit more lah....

came back home not too long ago and first thing first, plug in the cable to the CAL delta transport and let it run for a couple of hours....... i'll let u know how it goes in a couple of days.....with more hours, things usually do improve.....

2nd stop: the hour glass at takashimaya.....

wah public holiday hor..... the orchard road traffic is one kind of .... F*****......turned left at crown hotel.....and WAH.....paragon carpark full.......the ura carpark full......hotel carpark full..........everywhere full sia.......damn! cannot stand the waiting so i took a quick turn and end up at cairnhill art centre........ haha..... in the end save money...... but of cos walked a little bit more...

go hour glass there see see look look...........the whole shop so crowded huh and how come so many ppl into watches ah..... some crowded around the rolex displays, cartier display and so on so on.....

nothing much interesting...... other than a few gerald genta jump hour watches.... hmmm swee!.... i also took a good look at the glashutte original watches.......quite nice quite nice.... let's not forget the jlc ewc rossi edition...... got the number 46 on the dial leh...leh...leh....... haha if u are a rossi fan of cos look nice..... if not others would think it's idiotic...

after awhile, approached a salesperson and asked him about the richard mille rm005-fm......well, he said, can be arranged......... so next question, how much?.......so he tapped tapped the calculator......ehhh, 20%..... that's the max..... factory controlled......

hee ok mission accomplished.... i said thank you and let's go....

ok lah.... i better go listen to music and see how the acrolink performs...

rolex series 1: how to tell if it's a "folex"

a folex = fake rolex.... and in the coming days and weeks, i will try to document my knowledge to help newbies distinguish the features of a rolex and a folex.....:)

one of the most popular rolex watches is the submariner, the iconic dive watch that almost everyone else attempts or have attempted to copy........ therefore we will limit ourselves to this classic model that have defined what a dive watch is all about....

there are 3 versions of the stainless steel submariner, namely:

• rolex submariner 14060M aka non-date submariner (list price S$6447)
  
• rolex submariner 16610 aka submariner date (list price S$7444)
  
• rolex submariner 16610LV aka green submariner (list price S$7976) .....pls see previous posting for pictures and more...

so here we go........important features to look out for:

• 1
• there are 120 clicks per complete 360-degree revolution of a real rolex sub bezel........... however this feature alone shd not be used to judge whether the watch is authentic or not...... some folex could be pretty well-made and the bezels do have 120 clicks........ the clicks should be firm and smooth..... it should also turn with more ease when u press it down and turn
• 2
• for the 16610 and LV.... the cyclops magnify the date 2.5 times..... this is a common fault of folex watches and most have yet to perfect the magnification..... the date should sit right in the middle of the window and i mean exactly in the middle, not abit left or right or up or down.....
• 3
• as the text on a rolex watch dial is laser-etched, you can easily judge the quality by looking closely at the edges of the text, especially the coronet at 12 o'clock....... it shd be very well defined, even with a 10x loupe....
• 4
• the luminova should be flat and has a uniform glow.... it shd appear more whitish than green..... check the lume by exposing the dial to a light source and then observe in the shade.... all the luminova on the hour markers and hands must glow...
• 5
• the hour marker surround for the ss submariner is made of white gold...... check the shape, it should be complete and perfectly circular.....
• 6
• the 14060M is equipped with a rolex 3130 movement while the 16610 and LV uses the 3135 movement...... they are fundamentally similar, the only difference is the date complication in the 3135........ to see the movement, you need to use a proper tool to unscrew the ss case back
• 7
• modern rolex movements beat at 28,800 beats per hour and the sweep of the second hand is very smooth....... there are folex watches that uses el cheapo slow beat movements, so u can probably see that the sweep is not as smooth and exhibits some jerk.....
• 8
• however, it's not uncommon for folex watches to use swiss eta or china-made eta clones that also beat at 28,800 bph......... be very careful....
• 9
• all rolex submariner watches has a triplock crown.......it is physically larger than the crowns for the oyster datejust watches (which has a twinlock crown)........... how to tell whether it's a triplock??.......... well, look at the crown and you will see 3 dots below the coronet.........
• 10
• for a triplock crown, u will also see a black rubber o-ring on the crown tube when you unscrew the crown..... the o-ring is functional and you will be able to feel the crown compressing this ring when you screw the crown in.......... this is one feature that provides additional water resistance to 300m or 1000ft....
• 11
• to wind the movement, u have to turn the crown clockwise after you unscrew the crown...... do u find a slight resistance as compared to the feel when you turn the crown CCW..??
• 12
• to adjust the hands forward, you have to turn the crown clockwise in the last position..... this is also a feature to ascertain the watch as some fake movements advance the time by turning the crown CCW.....
• 13
• gently shake the watch..... can you hear or feel any wobble??...... the rotor of a rolex submariner watch pivots on a jewelled bearing and is totally silent.... you shd not hear anything..... or feel anything.....
• 14
• there is no engraving or text on the case back of a rolex submariner....
• 15
• the 14060M comes with a non-SEL bracelet while the other 2 models come with SEL....
• 16
• rolex submariner watches do not come with clear caseback.... genuine rolex watches come with a green hologram sticker ...... the model number is printed on the hologram and it will wear off when the watch is worn...
• 17
• there is a minute coronet that is laser-etched onto the sapphire crystal of a genuine rolex watch at the 6 o'clock position....... it's quite faint and difficult to pick up with the naked eye...... however, u can still see it clearly if the angle and lighting are right....
• 18
• all the 3 ss rolex submariner watches come with the oyster bracelet and the middle links are hollow...... if u see solid middle links on a ss submariner, it's a fake......
• 19
• both the 16610 and LV comes with a quick dive suit extension link....... from the inside of the clasp, u can see a small 'O' on one of links....... press it firmly and the link will pop out...... the 14060M has a different type of extension link.....
• 20
• for late-model 16610 and LV, the watches come with a one piece SEL. watches using this SEL will not have any bracelet number engraved on SEL links.....
• 21
• for late-model 16610 and LV, there are no holes on the side of the watch case. if you remove the bracelet, u will be able to see 16610T on the case at the 6 o'clock position........ t stands for "no-hole case"....... the 14060M still has holes on the case....
• 22
• the pearl on the bezel will glow .....
• 23
• the watch serial number is laser-etched on the case at 12 o'clock position.......it is very clear, obvious and well-defined....

haha overall very lengthy but still not 100% exhaustive.....but i hope this is helpful

a pictorial: rolex submariner 16610LV

first launched in 2003, the green bezel submariner was introduced to commemorate the 50th year of the rolex submariner....


so what is the difference between this and the black bezel submariner (16610)...???


well......the most obvious is of cos the green bezel.......

other differences are:

bigger hour markers (also called a maxi-dial)

a wider minute hand

list price of the watch is S$7976....... but it is usually sold at a premium in authorised dealers (AD).....so what is the market price? well about S$9000.....

so is it worth the extra over the black submariner (S$7444)? well, only you can answer that....:)

heard that when it was first launched, ADs were making big bucks selling this at prices near S$11k....!! ouch ouch ouch!..... this was partially fuelled by the rumour that this was a limited production, but alas.... turned out the lv is a regular production model...... so when the demand waned, prices also tumbled..... it's a sad thing if you paid more than S$10k for this watch but then there's a price to pay for being the first few to own it right haha.....

some ppl have reported that in europe and usa, there are dealers giving discounts for the lv..... it's still not happening in singapore.... i wonder when will it happen....... will the new ss gmt master 2 (116710) usurp the position of the lv..???...... let's see if that happens...

FYI... the new rolex airking, rolex oyster perpetual and rolex oyster perpetual date are in the stores .....all are now certified chronometers, come with new case, new dials, new bracelets (all brushed....WOOHOO!!).....

a square watch: JLC reverso squadra hometime

anyone like square watches?? most of the watches in the market are usually circular, oval and maybe rectangular.....so it's nice to see that some manufactures are giving us more choices ....


so how do u like this one...???...firstly u get a manufacture movement (which u can easily admire with a sapphire crystal caseback.....

moreover, with such a attractive price (list sgd 9300).....i believe the watch will catch on with consumers in the market very soon....there are 3 options u can choose, stainless steel bracelet, black alligator (genuine!) leather strap and a sporty black rubber strap......if i remember correctly, both leather and rubber straps are priced the same...

other features is the generous size of the case and it sits well on the wrist.......i think this is not something that others would miss, it could be the centre of attraction if u can carry it off...

you also get a 2nd time zone......notice the 4th hand at 8 o'clock position....that allows you to track a 2nd time zone ....the window at 9 shows you whether it's AM or PM in the 2nd zone.......quite neat huh....

since the watch is a reverso, u might wonder what is reverso..??? what can be reversed...?? well, the watch case sits on a hinge and you can flip it over to expose the rear.....instead of looking at the dial, you can choose to have the nicely decorated movement staring at you ...:P

the watch is equipped with a new modern-day JLC movement beating at 28,800 bph and has a generous 50 hr power reserve.........rated at 50 m water resistant, it's suited for both work and play.......dun have to worry that it's not tough enough to go swimming or surfing....

acrolink & oyaide....

just bought 1m of this amazing AC cable (haha actually 2 weeks ago lah...), the acrolink 4030.....both ends were terminated with oyaide P-079 and C-079...

the cable was $150 per meter and each plug $105.....total damage = $360........other than my shunyata diamondback, this is by far the most expensive AC cable i have....

acrolink has been around for many many years but this is the first time i am using their high purity copper stuff......not cheap but hope it's good....:)

OYAIDE P-079 and C-079 power and IEC plugs

the oyaide power and iec plugs are fast gaining a solid reputation among audiophiles with their jewel-like construction and "amazingly good" sonic performance..... one touch and u can tell these japanese really have utmost pride in their products.......the polycarbonate body feels hmmm...shiok shiok...... and the 2 micron gold-plating on the phosphorus bronze contact is super smooth super shiny..... just like those things u see at a goldsmith..... somemore dun play play, full 24k gold was used....

all these are not for show only cos the quality of the contact is evident the moment u insert the plugs .......... positive and reassuring....... the grip is excellent and confident inspiring....

if u are into audio long enough, u probably know that there are usually 2 camps.....one would say cables dun make a difference lah so dun waste money while the other camp swears by the exotic stuff..... so who should you believe? well neither, just try and see if it makes any difference for you, for your system, for your room.....

as for me, yeah i think cables make a difference and are important components in my system......yup, u saw it correctly....i consider them important enough to be deemed components.....

after so much babbling, let us come back to this acrolink stuff again......haha.....let's not get distracted.... at the risk of sounding like a salesman for acrolink, let me tell u, this stuff is good......

how good? hmm.....

how about a lower noise floor that allows you to hear more of the nuances.... more of the music.....?

how about a cleaner, smoother and more extended high frequency presentation.....?? more details yet smoother...... not bad a gain huh ...:)

how about a firmer and bigger punch for the bass.....?

overall............. $360 and worth every cent of it....

pls dun believe me without ever trying it out....

felipe massa, the watches not the man

Richard Mille RM005-FM Ti

haha.....talking about FM.....there are a few watches dedicated to this 26 year-old brazilian driver.....pretty cool huh....:)

have you ever dreamt of having a personalised watch .....such a yummy idea....

this is the richard mille rm005-fm (limited to 300 pcs)....in sand-blasted titanium. if you are very used to steel or gold watches, u will find it light as a feather.....titanium is of cos very light lah.....current list price is about slightly over S$66k....

there is also a platinum version of the rm005-fm.... platinum is a much much more expensive precious metal so you can imagine the cost... limited to 4o pcs only....

next is the rm009-fm.... a watch made of alusic.....ah? what is alusic?..... haha it's a damn super high-tech material made of aluminium and silicium of metal and minerals...... super lightweight super strong..... if u think ti is light, wait till u feel this one...... at 28 grams without its straps... gosh......feels like nothing on your wrist haha....

i have no idea how much is a rm009......extremely limited at 25 pcs only.......

Richard Mille RM009 Alusic

-----------------------------------

RM011-FM

recently richard mille released their latest fm model....the rm011-rm.... wah this one is even more power..... it's a chronograph and it's auto.... this one is really sweeeeeeeeeetttt...... so far the best looking fm watch...... words cannot describe this beauty....hehe

look at the big date display under the '12'.....wow......and that BIG crown....made from ti..

FM the man himself was wearing this at the spanish grand prix.....

all these pics are courtesy of other talented photographers and fortunate owners.....i am not so fortunate to own any....sigh...:)

monaco grand prix....my views

so the 1st silver mcclaren mercedes took the chequered flag before the 3rd place car, ferrari's felipe massa crossed the line 69 seconds later...!....ron dennis must have felt pretty good, hmmm....

alonso was joined by his team-mate, lewis "the rookie" hamilton on the top steps of the podium....overall such a commanding and comprehensive victory from the uk-based team.....(ouch, heart pain!)

i dunno if we shd be reading too much into the result cos monaco is very much different from any other circuit out there......it's tight, it's narrow and the driver uses full throttle only 40% of the lap.....it's almost like asking you to drive a ferrari f430 around the bukit batok driving circuit (for learner drivers, if u dun happen to know what is bbdc).....

seems like the other teams, including scuderia ferrari, were trying to limit the damage after seeing both FA and LH fly during Q1 & Q2......if u cant match their pace, might as well try to grab the next best thing and consolidate your championship points ......

with this in mind, i think fm did an excellent job.....he qualified well....got away from the start cleanly and maintained his position comfortably..........it was a hard afternoon's work but hey, 6 points is not bad ...no point pusing too hard and trying to chase the front 2 cars ....if one was driving at the edge, might end up clipping the barriers and damaging the car....

not forgetting KR.....who salvaged 1 championship point after starting from 16th on the grid...he clipped the barrier during Q2 and his steering came kaput..! haha, but damn wasted.....

overall a confident boosting victory for FA....and we all can turn our attention to montreal, the next race across the pond...

come on FM..!

first post

i chose the name: cacao, dark chocolate cos there are 4 mini chocolate bars right before me....i think it's pretty apt cos sometimes life is just like chocolate.....can be bitter sweet very often..

nowadays almost everyone blogs, so why not join in? hopefully i have good news to share most of the time......

mostly concern with audio and watches, so i guess most of my attention will be on these.....although i can be pre-occupied with other things like formula 1, movies, football...